“I have no wish to travel at this time. Unless you are very keen on going.”
“I have no care for such things.” He touched her cheek. “Dawnton is the best place for us to be.”
She took his hand and smiled, warmed by his words. “It is.” Anna could not allow herself any time in society until she had fulfilled her obligation as a wife, but she did not tell him that. He would argue, and she did not want that. “I will send our regrets.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, wishing she could sleep instead of going anywhere, and Colin kissed her hand. The comfort she felt from his presence, and the carriage rolling and swaying, lulled her into slumber, and a while later, she heard Colin call her name.
Opening her eyes and sitting up, she realized she was feeling a little better than she had been all day. “Have we arrived?”
“Yes,” Colin replied, picking up her shawl and reticule from the seat across from them. “You must be tired.”
“Yes,” she murmured. “The cat keeps me very busy.”
“Foolish little creature,” he chuckled, and climbed down from the carriage. As he was helping her alight, the descent made her dizzy, and she swayed in his arms. “Anna.” He held her tightly against him, and she could feel his heart pounding where her hand lay on his chest. “Are you well?”
“I am,” she quickly reassured him, holding herself up and fighting the lightness in her head. “I just woke from a nap, so it is natural to feel a little out of sorts.”
Colin regarded her dubiously. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, Colin. Please, do not worry.”
He released her and draped her shawl around her shoulders, and she smiled at how crooked it was. She let the fabric fall from her shoulders to her elbows, and one of his eyebrows rose ever so slightly. “Ah, I did not know that is how you do it.”
“Now you do,” she quipped and collected the reticule he proffered. She raised her head for the first time to see Nathaniel’s residence, and it was a large and beautiful manor that could rival Dawnton Hall.
Nathaniel stepped through the front door, a broad smile on his face. He opened his arms and bowed magnificently. “Welcome to my humble abode, Highwood Manor, Your Grace.” Nathaniel had just finished redecorating the manor, which had taken more than eight months to complete, and so he was very proud of it.
“I did not know Highwood is a humble place," Colin said.
“For heaven’s sake, Ashden!” Nathaniel cried, throwing his arms up. “My presentation was perfect until you spoke.”
Anna giggled at his theatrics. “Do not mind my husband, Nathaniel. I am eager to see Highwood in its entirety.”
“Oh, I never do.” Nathaniel grinned and shot Colin a triumphant look before beckoning them inside. “I must warn you that there is another guest joining us for dinner, but he is yet to arrive,” he added over his shoulder as he led them into the hall. At that instant, they heard a carriage stopping in front of the manor, and they all turned toward the open doors. “Ah, here he is,” Nathaniel declared.
Anna did not notice the crest on the carriage at first, but she stiffened the instant she recognized it and a footman opened the door for Hunter to alight. Colin’s hand found hers, and he drew her closer to his side.
“What is he doing here?” Anna whispered.
“He is in business with Nathaniel,” Colin replied as Nathaniel went to meet Hunter, leading him into the hall. “You did not tell me you invited Darpley,” Colin said when they walked in, and Hunter did not look surprised to see them. In fact, he seemed to have been expecting them.
“I was hoping to appeal to you with Darpley’s help to invest in our venture,” Nathaniel explained. He could not have known how his actions would affect both Anna and Colin, because he was unaware of Anna’s tale, and Catherine, who was now his good friend, regarded Hunter as a brother.
Hunter bowed exaggeratedly. “Your Graces, what a pleasure.” When he straightened, he turned his cold green eyes toward her, his smile was slight, but every bit as malevolent as she remembered.
Colin did not respond to his greeting, and as Anna looked up at him, she realized he was putting forth a great effort to remain civil, for a vein throbbed at his temple, and the cords and muscles in his neck were rigid. Anna did not want the matter to escalate more than it should, and so she placed a gentle hand on Colin’s arm, and said, “Shall we all go to dinner?”
Nathaniel frowned. “Is there something happening that I should know about?”
“Oh, nothing, Sir Nathaniel,” Hunter answered. “Anna and I have not seen each other in a long while, that is all.”
Nathaniel did not look convinced but he did not ask any more questions. “This way to the dining room, please.”
Anna and Colin allowed Hunter to precede them, then Colin looked down at her. “Are you certain you want to be here? We can return home.”
“And disappoint Nathaniel?” she asked, then gave him a smile to ease the tension she felt coming from him. “He is happy to have me here, and Hunter cannot do anything to me. I have you.”
He took her free hand and kissed it. “Yes, you have me, dear.” A tiny smile touched his eyes but the rest of his face remained as immovable as a mountain. They entered the dining room and took their seats. The silence that descended was so dense that one could almost touch it.
